CITY started their 2007-08 Coca-Cola Championship campaign with a useful away point after defending well against Preston at Deepdale.

With City boss Peter Grant forced to make changes to his starting line-up Preston carved out the better chances - but the Norwich defence and goalkeeper David Marshall weathered the storm to ensure they made the long trip home from Lancashire to Norfolk a point to the good.

With injuries and illness during the week to contend with, City boss Peter Grant opted for an unexpected strikeforce of Chris Brown and Dion Dublin at the start, with David Strihavka and Jamie Cureton joining Lee Croft and Mark Fotheringham on an attacking bench.

Gary Doherty joined new skipper Jason Shackell in the centre of City's defence with Julien Brellier and Darel Russell in front of them in the middle of the park.

Preston started brightly and forced a corner off Shackell in only the third minute. Pugh's flag-kick curled in towards the far post dangerously and Marshall had to be alert to palm the ball behind.

In the ninth minute the Deepdale fans were baying for a penalty after Nicholls' through-ball found Mellor and he went down under Shackell's challenge - but the appeals failed to move referee Paul Taylor.

Preston had forced a string of corners and free-kicks in the opening quarter of an hour as Norwich struggled to find their feet, but the defence and goalkeeper David Marshall in particular stood firm under the early pressure.

City's first attack of note didn't come until the 20th minute, when Lappin's long ball into the box found Chris Brown. The tall striker cut back inside his man and chose to pass instead of shoot - and his unselfish attempt to find a team-mate was blocked by a defender. The ball ran out to Julien Brellier and the Frenchman tried his luck with a drilled effort from 35 yards which flew a couple of yards wide of the post.

In City's next foray forward Lappin was fouled in a central position 22 yards from goal, but when he stepped up to take the free-kick himself his curling effort flew just wide.

The Canaries were getting into their stride now and in the 24th minute a surging run and cross from Lappin saw his deep cross met by Dublin, but the veteran was unable to get the power required behind his header and Henderson saved comfortably.

On the half-hour a timely and strong tackle from Doherty allowed Chadwick to swing in a searching cross from the right - and Brown should have done better with his header from eight yards which bounced well wide.

In the 35th minute City were nearly gifted the lead in bizarre fashion when North End centre-back Mawene smashed what should have been a routine clearance in the box straight at fellow defender St Ledger, but fortunately for them the rebound spun straight into the arms of a relieved Henderson.

The game's first booking arrived in the 41st minute, Dion Dublin given a debatable yellow card after a strong aerial challenge with Callum Davidson.

From the free-kick Preston's Ormerod picked out new signing Carter after a slick interchange, but the former West Brom midfielder dragged his shot wide from 20 yards.

As time ticked away in the first half the Preston fans ended the half as they began it - calling for a penalty which wasn't given. The home supporters and two or three North End players felt Jon Otsemobor had handled the ball in his own box, but again Mr Taylor was having none of it.

Half-time: Preston North End 0, Norwich City 0

Both sides emerged unchanged for the second half, with City kicking towards the 1,400 or so Norwich fans in the Bill Shankly Kop.

In the 49th minute Lappin's ball into the area was nodded down well by Dublin only for Russell's shot from 18 yards to be blocked well by St Ledger.

A minute later and the temperature of the match rose noticeably. Marshall reacted well to scramble Pugh's deep cross from the left out from under his crossbar and then again to save smartly under pressure as Ormerod headed the rebound goalwards. But there followed a game of pushy-shovey as players from both sides aired their views regarding the nature of the contact with Marshall.

In the 52nd minute with the decibel levels around the ground rising considerably, Danny Pugh was booked for a clumsy challenge on Adam Drury.

His new team-mate Carter joined him in the referee's notebook six minutes later after he scythed down City midfielder Julien Brellier ten yards inside the Preston half. Lappin took the free-kick which was headed away by Mawene to the edge of the area - Russell spotted a half chance and sent a long-range header back towards the Preston goal, but Henderson was alive to the danger and collected well.

At the other end the Norwich defence was caught napping in the 63rd minute, giving Mellor the time and space to twist and turn on the edge of the box before blasting a low shot thankfully straight to Marshall.

On Preston's next attack only a desperate tackle from Russell stopped Whaley breaking into the box, but it came at the expense of a free-kick 20 yards out and a yellow card for the Norwich midfielder.

Kevin Nicholls tried his luck with a low curling free-kick which fizzed into the side netting, leaving some Preston fans convinced they had taken the lead as they saw the net ripple from the other side of the ground.

In the 65th minute Norwich boss Peter Grant made the game's first substitution, Lee Croft replacing Luke Chadwick on the right flank.

As the game entered the last 20 minutes City had a good chance to open the scoring as a lovely deep cross from the right from Otsemobor found the head of Dublin, but the veteran was leaning back and headed wide from seven yards.

It was the big man's last touch as he was replaced to warm applause from the City supporters by Czech striker David Strihavka.

Within a minute the City new boy had a half-chance to launch his competitive Norwich career in style, but blazed a left-foot shot well over from 20 yards after Brown knocked down Croft's ball from the right.

There was another City substitution on 75 minutes, Mark Fotheringham replacing Julien Brellier in midfield after a solid competitive debut from the Frenchman.

With ten minutes to go Ormerod went off for Preston as boss Simpson brought on another striker Karl Hawley. Preston immediately came the closest either side had come yet to breaking the deadlock thanks to a moment to brighten an otherwise scrappy match. It came from central midfielder Kevin Nicholls who brought the ball down well 30 yards out, took one touch and then unleashed a superbly-flighted shot which cannoned off the angle of post and bar to safety with Marshall beaten.

In the 85th minute Mellor left the field to be replaced by Chris Sedgwick for Preston.

The closing stages saw a mounting period of Preston pressure as the home side produced a flurry of corners, causing, with four in two minutes as the City defence found it difficult to get out of their third. Thankfully a combination of alert goalkeeping and brave defending kept the ball out of the Norwich goal and the scores level as the game moved into injury time.

There was time for one last scare for the visitors, Alexander's searching cross from the right headed just over and on to the roof of the net by Pugh.

Final score: Preston North End 0, Norwich City 0

Preston North End: Henderson, Alexander (capt), Davidson, Pugh, Mawene, Carter, St Ledger, Whaley, Ormerod (Hawley 80), Nicholls, Mellor (Sedgwick 85). Subs not used: Lonergan (GK), Jones, Neal.

Norwich City: Marshall, Otsemobor, Drury, Shackell (capt), Dublin (Strihavka 71), Chadwick (Croft 65), Brown, Lappin, Russell, Brellier (Fotheringham 75), Doherty. Subs not used: Gilks (GK), Cureton.